At the end of October, the UConn Neag School of Education hosted nine high schools that offer three of its Early College Experience courses in Storrs for a day. The 116 high schoolers in attendance learned more about the University, the Neag School, and potential careers in education and sport management.

“Expanding our Early College Experience courses offered through the Neag School has been a priority for me,” Dean Jason G. Irizarry says. “Since 2021-2022, we’ve added new courses, now totaling four. In 2023-2024, those courses provided the opportunity to earn college credits to 669 high schoolers in 25 districts. I’m thrilled Neag School faculty and staff organized an ECE Day for some of the students currently enrolled in our courses.”

Irizarry kicked off the day’s program in McHugh Hall, welcoming students and teachers from Bristol, East Hampton, Enfield, Farmington, Milford, New Britain, Plainville, and Trumbull. All either teach or take EDCI 1100: If You Love It, Teach It; EDLR 2001: Contemporary Issues in Sport; or EPSY 1100: Introduction to Special Education. The Neag School’s fourth ECE course currently offered in high schools is EDLR 1162: Health and Education in Urban Communities.

“We remain committed to giving high school students the opportunity to engage in career exploration and potentially play a role in them becoming the next generation of educators and sport management professionals,” Irizarry says. “Maybe some of them will even enroll in the Neag School in a few years.”

The group then heard an overview of the Neag School of Education from ECE faculty coordinators and professors, as well as Assistant Director of Student Support Dominique Battle-Lawson and Academic Advisor Sydnee Jones.

“The Neag School of Education continues to prioritize Early College Experience as an opportunity to connect with high school students,” says assistant professor in residence Danielle DeRosa, who is also one of the School’s faculty coordinators for ECE. “Given our continued growth in this area, we wanted the opportunity to bring ECE students who are taking Neag School courses to campus so they could get a taste for campus life and learn more about all that the Neag School has to offer its students.”

Around midmorning, DeRosa and others led the students on tours of campus and the athletics facilities, depending on which ECE course they’re enrolled in. Once everyone reconvened in the Gentry Building, the Neag School’s home, students attended one of two panels: either about the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) Teacher Education Program or the Sport Management Program.

Both panels were organized and led by current Neag School students. Cece Echevarria ’25 (ED), ’26 MA; Anneliese Ide ’26 (ED), ’27 MA; Eben Hikade ’25 (ED), ’26 MA; Brynn Madonna ’25 (ED), ’26 MA; and Logan McCallum Laval ’24 (ED), ’25 MA spoke on the teacher education panel, while Paige Bjerke ’26 (ED), Teddi Ferraro ’25 (ED), Jake Steinberg ’26 (ED), Donte’ Carter ’26 (ED), and Ava Inesta ’26 (ED) offered insight as part of the sport management panel. The students not only shared their experiences in the Neag School’s academic programs, but also their broader UConn experiences and activities they’re involved in on campus.

“The students asked many insightful questions that allowed current Neag School students to share their advice and experiences of what to expect from both the University and our program specifically,” says McCallum Laval, who also helped coordinate and host the day’s program. “I am incredibly proud and thankful to have had the opportunity to work closely with the professional staff and students from the Neag School of Education and Early College Experience. We hope to continue this event for years to come.”

The day concluded with the high school students enjoying lunch in South Dining Hall, which offered them the chance to experience college-style dining.

“We hope the high school students and their teachers were able to learn more about UConn, the Neag School, and our programs, faculty, staff, and current students,” says Ann Traynor, assistant dean and certification officer for the Neag School. “We also hope the ECE students consider attending UConn and consider teaching and sport management as possible majors and careers.”

“Neag Day was an invaluable experience for my students,” says Molly Anderson, an educator from Jonathan Law High School in Milford. “For many, it was their first chance to explore the UConn campus, engage with a student panel, ask questions, and interact with Neag School students and faculty. The visit sparked an excitement about life after high school, and my students are still talking about it. It’s undoubtedly one of the highlights of being part of the Neag School’s ECE community.”

To learn more about UConn Early College Experience, visit ece.uconn.edu.